1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser device to be incorporated in e.g. an optical pickup device for performing reading or recording with respect to an optical recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor laser device A3 as an example of conventional semiconductor laser device. The semiconductor laser device A3 includes a lead 91, a semiconductor laser chip 92 for emitting a laser beam L and a resin portion 93. The lead 91 includes a mount portion 91aand terminal portions 91b. The semiconductor laser chip 92 is mounted to the mount portion 91a via a submount 94 and electrically connected to the terminal portions 91b via wires 95. The resin portion 93 holds the mount portion 91a and the terminal portions 91b of the lead 91. This type of conventional semiconductor laser device is disclosed in JP-A-2008-21754, for example.
In the process to incorporate the semiconductor laser device A3 in e.g. an optical pickup device, a worker handles the semiconductor laser device A3 with a handling tool such as tweezers. In this incorporation process, the handling tool may come into contact with the semiconductor laser chip 92 to damage the semiconductor laser chip. This is because, in the semiconductor laser device A3, the semiconductor laser chip 92 on the mount portion 91a is exposed on the side opposite the mount portion 91a. 
The present invention has been proposed under the circumstances described above. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor laser device which is capable of protecting the semiconductor laser element properly.